عدل الحبيب فمن يجورُ

عدل الحبيب فمن يجورُ

ودنا فأين بنا يسيرُ

ودنا فأين بنا يسيرُ

The beloved has dealt justly—who, then, can wrong us?

The beloved is just—who, then, will be unjust?

And he has drawn near—where will he lead us?

And he has drawn near—where will he lead us?

عوضت من عيس تدو

عوضت من عيس تدو

ر بي الفلا كأس تدور

ر بي الفلا كأس تدور

In place of camels that once roamed

I was given, in place of white camels that roam

with me through the wilderness, I was given a circling cup.

the desert with me, a cup passed round.

وشربت ما وسع الصغي

وشربت ما وسع الصغي

ر وزدت ما حمل الكبير

ر وزدت ما حمل الكبير

I drank all that the small vessel could hold,

And I drank all the small cup held

then more—all that the great one could bear.

and added all the large one carried.

نبهت ندماني وقد

نبهت ندماني وقد

عبرت بنا الشعرى العبور

عبرت بنا الشعرى العبور

I roused my drinking companions when

I roused my drinking companions, when

Sirius the Crosser had crossed with us.

Sirius, the Crossing Star, had passed over us.

والبدر في أفق السما

والبدر في أفق السما

ء كروضة فيها غدير

ء كروضة فيها غدير

The full moon on heaven’s horizon

And the full moon on heaven's horizon—

was like a garden with a stream.

like a garden with a pool within it.

هبوا فقد عيي الرقي

هبوا فقد عيي الرقي

ب ونام وانتبه السرور

ب ونام وانتبه السرور

Rise! The watcher has grown weary,

Rise, for the watcher has grown weary

and slept; joy has awakened.

and slept, while joy has awakened.

وأشار إبليس فقل

وأشار إبليس فقل

نا كلنا نعم المشير

نا كلنا نعم المشير

Iblis gave the signal, and we said—

And Iblis gave counsel, and we said,

all of us—“What an excellent counselor!”

all together, 'What an excellent counselor!'

صرعى بمعركة تع

صرعى بمعركة تع

ف الوحش عنها والنسور

ف الوحش عنها والنسور

Fallen in a battlefield from which

We lay fallen on a battlefield

wild beasts and vultures recoil;

that wild beasts and vultures shun.

نوار روضتنا خدو

نوار روضتنا خدو

د والغصون بها خصور

د والغصون بها خصور

the blossoms of our garden are cheeks,

Our garden's flowers are cheeks,

and its branches are slender waists.

and its branches are waists.

والعيش أستر ما يكو

والعيش أستر ما يكو

ن إذا تهتكت الستور

ن إذا تهتكت الستور

Life is at its most discreet

And life is most veiled

when the curtains are torn aside.

when the veils are torn away.

هبوا الى شرب المدا

هبوا الى شرب المدا

م فإنما الدنيا غرور

م فإنما الدنيا غرور

Rise and drink the enduring

Rise to drink wine,

wine—for this world is only delusion.

for the world is nothing but delusion.

طاف السقاة بها كما

طاف السقاة بها كما

أهدت الصيد الصقور

أهدت الصيد الصقور

The cupbearers passed her round, as

The cupbearers passed it round, just as

falcons present their quarry:

falcons bring their quarry as a gift.

عذراء يكتمها المزا

عذراء يكتمها المزا

ج كأنها فيه ضمير

ج كأنها فيه ضمير

a virgin wine whom blending conceals,

A virgin, concealed by the water mixed with her,

as though within it she were a secret thought.

as though she were a hidden thought within it.

وتظن تحت حبابها

وتظن تحت حبابها

خداً تقبله ثغور

خداً تقبله ثغور

Beneath her bubbles you imagine

And beneath her bubbles you imagine

a cheek kissed by many mouths.

a cheek kissed by mouths.

حتى سجدنا والإما

حتى سجدنا والإما

م أمامنا بم وزير

م أمامنا بم وزير

Until we bowed down in worship, the ima—

Until we prostrated ourselves, the prayer leader

—m before us the bass and treble strings.

before us being the bass string and the treble.

وإذا صحونا فاللسا

وإذا صحونا فاللسا

ن العذب والفكر الغزير

ن العذب والفكر الغزير

And when we sober up, the tongue is

And when we sobered, our speech was

sweet, and thought flows abundantly.

sweet, and our thought abundant.

نفتض معنى أو يولد

نفتض معنى أو يولد

بيننا مثل وزير

بيننا مثل وزير

We break open a meaning, or one is born

We deflower a meaning, or there is born

among us like a vizier;

among us the equal of a vizier,

أو يمدح الملك الجلي

أو يمدح الملك الجلي

ل السيد الفرد الخطير

ل السيد الفرد الخطير

or it praises the glorious king,

or the majestic king is praised—

the lord, peerless and august.

the lord, peerless and illustrious.

ما عزه شيء بغا

ما عزه شيء بغا

ه فكيف أعوزه النظير

ه فكيف أعوزه النظير

Nothing he sought ever defied him—

Nothing he sought proved beyond him;

how, then, could an equal elude him?

how, then, has an equal eluded him?

وغداة أنس بشرت

وغداة أنس بشرت

ك بها المعازف والخمور

ك بها المعازف والخمور

On a morning of convivial joy, you were given glad tidings

And a morning of delight was heralded

of it by instruments and wine,

to you by musical instruments and wines,

إذ ماء ورد غيثنا

إذ ماء ورد غيثنا

والارض تربتها عبير

والارض تربتها عبير

when rosewater was our rain,

when rosewater was our rain,

and the earth had perfume for soil.

and the earth's soil was perfume.

تغري بصب الماء يا

تغري بصب الماء يا

ملكاً أنامله بحور

ملكاً أنامله بحور

The water entices an ardent lover—O

You urge the pouring of water, O

king whose fingertips are seas!

king whose fingers are seas.

ويقول سيبك هكذا

ويقول سيبك هكذا

صبت على العافى البدور

صبت على العافى البدور

Your bounty says, “Just so

And your bounty says, 'Thus

have full moons poured upon the petitioner.”

full moons were poured upon the petitioner.'

ويقول سيفك هكذا

ويقول سيفك هكذا

تحرى إذا غضب النحور

تحرى إذا غضب النحور

Your sword says, “Just so

And your sword says, 'Thus

does it seek out throats when angered.”

are throats sought when it grows angry.'

هيهات تبتسم الثغو

هيهات تبتسم الثغو

ر ولم تسد بك الثغور

ر ولم تسد بك الثغور

Never could mouths have smiled

Impossible for mouths to smile

had the frontiers not been secured through you.

before the frontiers are secured by you.

قد أذعنت أرض العد

قد أذعنت أرض العد

و وجاء بالنصر البشير

و وجاء بالنصر البشير

The enemy’s land has submitted,

The enemy's land has submitted,

and the herald has brought news of victory.

and the herald has brought news of victory.

هذي الأماني لي عبي

هذي الأماني لي عبي

د والسرور معي اجير

د والسرور معي اجير

These hopes are slaves to me,

These wishes are slaves to me,

and joy is my hired servant.

and joy is a hired servant at my side.

لاقيته فغضضت طر

لاقيته فغضضت طر

فى إذ بدا القمر المنير

فى إذ بدا القمر المنير

I met him and lowered my gaze

I met him and lowered my gaze

when the radiant moon appeared.

when the radiant moon appeared.

وجررت اذيالي بمج

وجررت اذيالي بمج

له وقلت فمن جرير

له وقلت فمن جرير

I trailed my robes in the glory

And I trailed my robes with a scroll [reading uncertain],

of his presence and said, “Who, then, is Jarir?”

and said, 'Who, then, is Jarir?'

وكأن عاماً عشته

وكأن عاماً عشته

في ظلة يوم قصير

في ظلة يوم قصير

A year I lived

And it was as though a year I had lived

beneath his shade seemed but one short day.

lay in the shade of one short day.